South Carolina women's basketball, Dawn Staley receive national championship, SEC title rings

South Carolina women’s basketball, Dawn Staley receive national championship, SEC title rings

Posted by Admin December 3, 2024 Basketball

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COLUMBIA — Time to make a little more room on the memorabilia shelf or in the jewelry box.

Each player from the 2023-24 South Carolina women’s basketball team received two rings in a ceremony Monday night at Colonial Life Arena — one for the 2024 national championship and one for the SEC title. The Gamecocks, who went undefeated last season, beat LSU 79-72 in the conference title game and Iowa 87-75 to win the program’s third national title.

Coach Dawn Staley and the current team (7-1) were celebrated by fans and members of the athletic department, including athletic director Ray Tanner.

“We thank you, I stood over there, took pictures and watched how many people came up to the line, I saw families, generations of families, I saw young people, older people, I just saw people with smiles on their faces,” Staley said. “Thank you, thank you, to you for always being there for us, for always supporting us.”

Staley said the rings weren’t ready for the Nov. 4 season opener, which is why the ceremony took place Monday.

Freshmen Maddy McDaniel and Joyce Edwards, along with transfer from Arkansas Maryam Dauda, did not receive rings but were with the team to celebrate. The only player from the national championship team who was not in attendance was Kamilla Cardoso, the former starting center. Cardoso was drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft in April, and with that season over, is now playing for the Shanghai Swordfish of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association.

The practice players, managers and assistant coaches also received rings. The current team signed autographs and took pictures with fans before the ceremony began while the three national championship trophies won under Staley were on tables set up for photos.

Now South Carolina shifts its attention to two top 10 games this week. It faces No. 8 Duke (8-1) on Thursday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) at home in the SEC/ACC challenge and No. 9 TCU on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in Dallas in the LBM Coast to Coast Challenge.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin